I've long maintained that the first Hulk movie was a travesty of a film. It followed the source material poorly, and Ang Lee simply tried
too hard to bring some artsy choices into the film and it didn't know what it wanted to be. I went into that movie so excited, and there were parts that I
tried to take away and enjoy, but the Hulk didn't smash.
First thing I said after leaving the theater for The Incredible Hulk was "Marvel Studios really knows what they're doing." In terms of tone, it is incredibly similar to Iron Man. Heck, Robert Downey Jr. even makes an appearance in the film... as Tony Stark! You can just tell that they're dying to put together this Avengers movie, and the number of nods to the source material are overwhelming and enough to make someone who knows even a little Hulk history via the comics geek out. And there are plenty of geek out moments, to be sure. You have your mentions of Stark Industries, but also mentions of a super soldier program. Captain America can't be too far away.
I really enjoyed Edward Norton's portrayal of Bruce Banner; he seems to capture the "meek scientist who can push if he has to" well. In fact, all of the acting was good. Liv Tyler, alongside the Hulk at his most vulnerable, really helped to humanize the Hulk. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. Tim Roth, too, was good. He's a soldier who gets a version of the super soldier serum, but after fighting the Hulk, decides he wants more... to the point of overdoing it and becoming an abomination known as... the Abomination!
So let's talk about HULK SMASH first, because frankly, the Hulk smashes. There are three action sequences throughout the movie, and they all just keep building. The Hulk's first appearance is done mostly in the shadows, making his appearance look more like it belongs in a horror movie. You see it through the eyes of Tim Roth, a man who has no idea what is going when he first encounters the Hulk. The second action set is on a college campus, with the Hulk tearing through military equipment like there is no tomorrow. It was so refreshing to watch that sequence, because that was what helped to wash away my feelings toward the first movie. The final action sequence was all over New York City, with the Hulk vs the Abomination. This was where we saw the Hulk in all his glory. Screaming, "HULK SMASH!" and using his hand clap to get rid of fire. Destroying a car and using it for gloves. The chaos was intense, but you got to see the Hulk show his raw strength. During this scene, which surpassed all my expectations in terms of confrontation between the two characters, my dad (an avid DC Comics fan) leaned over and said to me, "This is how the Superman movie should have been." The Hulk is Marvel's strongest hero, and this movie captures the strength, but also the humanity that lurks inside of him as well, and Norton's portrayal of him goes a long way toward establishing this.
This was a movie that knew its history, and did its homework. In the opening credits, it asks the viewer to forget the first movie. By the end credits, it asks the viewer to come back and see the guaranteed sequel. I was a bit skeptical about this movie at first, but my overall curiosity and love of comic books drew me out regardless. And I was glad I went. If you didn't like the first film, you stand a strong chance of liking this one, I'd suspect. Regardless, check this one out. Because, finally, Hulk smash. And he smash good.
And unlike the Iron Man movie, where I missed the reference to the Mandarin, I'm sure you all caught the blatant reference to the Leader in this film, right?
First thing I said after leaving the theater for The Incredible Hulk was "Marvel Studios really knows what they're doing." In terms of tone, it is incredibly similar to Iron Man. Heck, Robert Downey Jr. even makes an appearance in the film... as Tony Stark! You can just tell that they're dying to put together this Avengers movie, and the number of nods to the source material are overwhelming and enough to make someone who knows even a little Hulk history via the comics geek out. And there are plenty of geek out moments, to be sure. You have your mentions of Stark Industries, but also mentions of a super soldier program. Captain America can't be too far away.
I really enjoyed Edward Norton's portrayal of Bruce Banner; he seems to capture the "meek scientist who can push if he has to" well. In fact, all of the acting was good. Liv Tyler, alongside the Hulk at his most vulnerable, really helped to humanize the Hulk. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. Tim Roth, too, was good. He's a soldier who gets a version of the super soldier serum, but after fighting the Hulk, decides he wants more... to the point of overdoing it and becoming an abomination known as... the Abomination!
So let's talk about HULK SMASH first, because frankly, the Hulk smashes. There are three action sequences throughout the movie, and they all just keep building. The Hulk's first appearance is done mostly in the shadows, making his appearance look more like it belongs in a horror movie. You see it through the eyes of Tim Roth, a man who has no idea what is going when he first encounters the Hulk. The second action set is on a college campus, with the Hulk tearing through military equipment like there is no tomorrow. It was so refreshing to watch that sequence, because that was what helped to wash away my feelings toward the first movie. The final action sequence was all over New York City, with the Hulk vs the Abomination. This was where we saw the Hulk in all his glory. Screaming, "HULK SMASH!" and using his hand clap to get rid of fire. Destroying a car and using it for gloves. The chaos was intense, but you got to see the Hulk show his raw strength. During this scene, which surpassed all my expectations in terms of confrontation between the two characters, my dad (an avid DC Comics fan) leaned over and said to me, "This is how the Superman movie should have been." The Hulk is Marvel's strongest hero, and this movie captures the strength, but also the humanity that lurks inside of him as well, and Norton's portrayal of him goes a long way toward establishing this.
This was a movie that knew its history, and did its homework. In the opening credits, it asks the viewer to forget the first movie. By the end credits, it asks the viewer to come back and see the guaranteed sequel. I was a bit skeptical about this movie at first, but my overall curiosity and love of comic books drew me out regardless. And I was glad I went. If you didn't like the first film, you stand a strong chance of liking this one, I'd suspect. Regardless, check this one out. Because, finally, Hulk smash. And he smash good.
And unlike the Iron Man movie, where I missed the reference to the Mandarin, I'm sure you all caught the blatant reference to the Leader in this film, right?
